Heavy snow disrupts traffic in parts of China

Heavy snowfall hitting parts of northwest and central China early on Thursday has disrupted road traffic in affected areas, with local authorities responding swiftly by adopting effective measures to ensure safe transportation.

While some areas saw substantial accumulations of snow leading to road closures and traffic accidents, others experienced minimal impact due to warmer ground temperatures.

In Huocheng County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, heavy snowfall on Thursday evening impacted vehicle traffic in the Guozigou section of the G30 expressway linking Lianyungang in East China's Jiangsu Province and Horgos in Xinjiang.

Local traffic police quickly deployed patrols in the affected road sections. Due to the prolonged snowfall and substantial accumulation, some road sections became icy and slippery, leading to traffic accidents. To ensure traffic safety, authorities imposed restrictions on large trucks traveling through the Guozigou section.

Meteorological forecasts indicate that the snowfall will continue until February 1.

In northwest China's Gansu Province, cities such as Tianshui, Longnan, and Dingxi have also experienced significant snowfall beginning Thursday. The heavy snowfall has caused congestions on some expressways and national and provincial highways. Local authorities have responded swiftly by clearing the snow off the affected road sections to ensure safe passage.

During the afternoon and evening on Thursday, Tianshui was blanketed with heavy snow, with some rural areas seeing severe conditions.

In the Baoji-Tianshui section of the G30 expressway, persistent snowfall resulted in icy road conditions, prompting the adoption of temporary traffic control measures. The local highway administration has activated emergency plans, conducting round-the-clock snow removal operations at critical points including road surfaces, bridges, and tunnel entrances.

"We have deployed emergency response teams and snow removal equipment to work overnight to ensure smooth traffic flow while accurately reporting road conditions and travel advisories," said Chen Yonghui, an official with the Baoji-Tianshui expressway toll station.

In Longnan City of Gansu, heavy snowfall has caused varying degrees of snow accumulations on the G8513 Pingliang-Mianyang Expressway and G75 Lanzhou-Haikou Expressway, as well as nine national and provincial highways. Authorities have focused snow removal efforts on areas prone to icing, including road bends, tunnels, and slopes, while increasing road inspections to monitor the changing snow conditions.

Currently, snowfall in southeastern Gansu has largely ceased, and all affected road sections have been reopened to traffic. However, meteorologists predict more precipitation, cooling temperatures, and strong winds in the coming days.

In central China's Henan Province, some areas have experienced rain and snow since Thursday evening. The Henan Provincial Meteorological Department has issued a blue warning for heavy snow and a yellow warning for icy roads.

So far, the snowfall has not generated a significant impact on road transportation. The snowfall is still ongoing in Xuchang City of Henan, but due to the relatively high ground temperatures, there has been no significant accumulation of snow on the roads, with the snow melting shortly after falling, except in the surrounding vegetation.

The city of Xuchang serves as a dividing line for the snowfall, with areas to the south and west experiencing snow, while the northern regions, including the provincial capital Zhengzhou, remain unaffected.

Rail and air transportation in Henan has continued to operate normally without significant disruptions.

Heavy snow disrupts traffic in parts of China

A Japanese lawmaker has raised concerns over Japan's push to expand its military and its nuclear policy.

Responding to some politicians' dangerous tendency towards possessing nuclear weapons, Takara Sachika, a member of Japan's House of Councilors, said that Japan's push to strengthen its military, combined with what she called a misguided nuclear policy, not only heightens regional tensions but also directly threatens regional security.

"I think this is completely unacceptable. Japan is a country that has suffered atomic bombings and is one of the nations most aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. Yet such a country is openly discussing the issue of possessing nuclear weapons and even attempting to revise the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is an extremely serious problem," Takara said.

Takara said the Japanese government's tendency to expand its military capabilities is completely contrary to the Constitution.

"From the perspective of Japan's Constitution, Japan should never have adopted a policy of ensuring security by strengthening military capabilities. Yet today, enormous effort is being poured into military expansion, and that in itself is a serious problem," said the lawmaker.

At a Diet meeting in early November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that what she described as the Chinese central authorities' "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and suggested the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, drawing strong criticism worldwide.

Takara urged Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks as soon as possible.

"I think there is a very big problem with making such remarks that provoke other countries. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the facts as soon as possible and withdraw the relevant remarks," she said.

Japanese lawmaker criticizes nuclear weapons remarks as threat to regional security